Conveyor dishwasher

Abstract

A conveyor dishwasher ( 1 ) having at least one wash zone ( 10, 11.1, 11.2, 12 ) and at least one final rinse zone ( 13 ) and also having a conveyor apparatus ( 2 ) for conveying washware ( 100, 101, 102, 103 ) through the at least one wash zone ( 10, 11.1, 11.2, 12 ) and the at least one final rinse zone ( 13 ). In order to make the entire washing and rinsing process more efficient, provision is made for the conveyor apparatus ( 2 ) to have a first conveyor belt ( 50 ) for trays or tray-like washware ( 100 ) and a second conveyor belt ( 51 ), which runs parallel to the first conveyor belt ( 50 ), for other washware ( 101, 102, 103 ), with the first conveyor belt ( 50 ) having a width which is reduced in comparison to the second conveyor belt ( 51 ) in such a way that a tray or a tray-like item ( 100 ) of washware can be held by the first conveyor belt ( 50 ) only when it is in a state in which it is placed on edge and is oriented parallel to the conveying direction (T).

1 . A conveyor dishwasher ( 1 ), having at least one wash zone ( 10 ,  11 . 1 ,  11 . 2 ,  12 ) and at least one final rinse zone ( 13 ) and also having a conveyor apparatus ( 2 ) for conveying washware ( 100 ,  101 ,  102 ,  103 ) through the at least one wash zone ( 10 ,  11 . 1 ,  11 . 2 ,  12 ) and the at least one final rinse zone ( 13 ), characterized in that the conveyor apparatus ( 2 ) has a first conveyor belt ( 50 ) for trays or tray-like washware ( 100 ) and a second conveyor belt ( 51 ), which runs parallel to the first conveyor belt ( 50 ), for other washware ( 101 ,  102 ,  103 ), and in that the first conveyor belt ( 50 ) has a width which is reduced in comparison to the second conveyor belt ( 51 ) in such a way that a tray or a tray-like item ( 100 ) of washware can be held by the first conveyor belt ( 50 ) only when it is in a state in which it is placed on edge and is oriented parallel to the conveying direction (T). 
     
     
         2 . Conveyor dishwasher ( 1 ) according to  claim 1 , with the tray or tray-like washware ( 100 ) which is to be held by the first conveyor belt ( 50 ) having a peripheral border or a peripheral edge, and with the first conveyor belt ( 50 ) being designed to hold the tray or tray-like item of washware ( 100 ) which is supported on the first conveyor belt ( 50 ) by means of a border or edge region ( 100 ′). 
     
     
         3 . Conveyor dishwasher ( 1 ) according to  claim 1  with a guide which is associated with the first conveyor belt ( 50 ) being provided for guiding a tray or tray-like item ( 100 ) of washware which is held by the first conveyor belt ( 50 ) as it is conveyed through the at least one wash zone ( 10 ,  11 . 1 ,  11 . 2 ,  12 ) and the at least one final rinse zone ( 13 ). 
     
     
         4 . Conveyor dishwasher ( 1 ) according to  claim 3 , with the guide having a guide groove ( 60 ), which is formed in the first conveyor belt ( 50 ) and runs in the longitudinal direction of the first conveyor belt ( 50 ), for holding a border or edge region ( 100 ′) of a tray or tray-like item ( 100 ) of washware which is placed on the first conveyor belt ( 50 ). 
     
     
         5 . Conveyor dishwasher ( 1 ) according to  claim 3  with the guide having at least one upper guide element ( 61 ), which is situated opposite the first conveyor belt ( 50 ), for holding a region ( 100 ″) of a tray or tray-like item ( 100 ) of washware which is placed in the first conveyor belt ( 50 ), with this region ( 100 ″) being situated opposite the border or edge region ( 100 ′) by means of which the tray or tray-like item ( 100 ) of washware is supported on the first conveyor belt ( 50 ). 
     
     
         6 . Conveyor dishwasher ( 1 ) according to  claim 5 , with the at least one upper guide element ( 61 ) being in the form of a guide rail. 
     
     
         7 . Conveyor dishwasher ( 1 ) according to  claim 5  with the at least one upper guide element ( 61 ) being adjustable in the vertical direction for the purpose of matching the guide to the height of a tray or tray-like item ( 100 ) of washware which is to be held by the first conveyor belt ( 50 ) and is placed on edge. 
     
     
         8 . Conveyor dishwasher ( 1 ) according to  claim 3  with a machine outlet being provided downstream of the at least one final rinse zone ( 13 ) as seen in the conveying direction (T), with the guide which is associated with the first conveyor belt ( 50 ) being designed to transfer a tray or tray-like item ( 100 ) of washware, which is held on the first conveyor belt ( 50 ), from its state in which it is placed on edge to its horizontally oriented normal state and to destack said tray or tray-like item of washware at the machine outlet. 
     
     
         9 . Conveyor dishwasher ( 1 ) according to  claim 1  with a belt guide ( 62 ) which is associated with the first conveyor belt ( 50 ) being provided for guiding the first conveyor belt ( 50 ), with the belt guide ( 62 ) being fixed to belt rod shafts ( 55 ) which are part of the second conveyor belt ( 51 ). 
     
     
         10 . Conveyor dishwasher ( 1 ) according to  claim 9 , with the belt guide ( 62 ) being designed to support and/or to guide a border or edge region ( 100 ′) of a tray or tray-like item ( 100 ) of washware which is placed on edge. 
     
     
         11 . Conveyor dishwasher ( 1 ) according to  claim 1  with the first conveyor belt ( 50 ) being embodied by means of drive belts, in particular by means of flat belts, V-belts, toothed belts or round belts. 
     
     
         12 . Conveyor dishwasher ( 1 ) according to  claim 1  with at least one further conveyor belt ( 52 ) which runs parallel to the first and second conveyor belts ( 50 ,  51 ) also being provided, in particular a further conveyor belt ( 52 ) for cutlery ( 103 ), this further conveyor belt running directly next to the first conveyor belt ( 50 ) and between the first and second conveyor belts ( 50 ,  51 ). 
     
     
         13 . Conveyor dishwasher ( 1 ) according to  claim 12 , with a common drive apparatus being provided for the second and the at least one further conveyor belt ( 51 ,  52 ), the second and the at least one further conveyor belt ( 51 ,  52 ) being jointly driven by means of the said common drive apparatus. 
     
     
         14 . Conveyor dishwasher ( 1 ) according to  claim 1  with a common drive apparatus being provided for the first and second conveyor belts ( 50 ,  51 ), the first and second conveyor belts ( 50 ,  51 ) being jointly driven by means of the said common drive apparatus. 
     
     
         15 . Conveyor dishwasher ( 1 ) according to  claim 14 , with the first conveyor belt ( 50 ) being connected to the common drive apparatus by means of a first drive shaft which is associated with the first conveyor belt ( 50 ) and a first gear mechanism apparatus which is associated with the first conveyor belt ( 50 ), with the second conveyor belt ( 51 ) being connected to the common drive apparatus by means of a second drive shaft which is associated with the second conveyor belt ( 51 ) and a second gear mechanism apparatus which is associated with the second conveyor belt ( 51 ), and with the respective transmission ratio of the first and the second gear mechanism apparatus being different in such a way that the conveying speed at which an item ( 100 ) of washware which is held by the first conveyor belt ( 50 ) is conveyed through the at least one wash zone ( 10 ,  11 . 1 ,  11 . 2 ,  12 ) and the at least one final rinse zone ( 13 ) is higher than the conveying speed at which an item of washware ( 101 ,  102 ,  103 ) which is held by the second conveyor belt ( 51 ) is conveyed through the at least one wash zone ( 10 ,  11 . 1 ,  11 . 2 ,  12 ) and at least one final rinse zone ( 13 ). 
     
     
         16 . Conveyor dishwasher ( 1 ) according to  claim 13  with the respective conveyor belts ( 50 ,  51 ,  52 ) being connected to the common drive apparatus by means of a common drive shaft. 
     
     
         17 . Conveyor dishwasher ( 1 ) according to  claim 1  with an associated drive apparatus being provided for each conveyor belt ( 50 ,  51 ,  52 ) for the purpose of driving the corresponding conveyor belt ( 50 ,  51 ,  52 ) in such a way that an item ( 100 ,  101 ,  102 ,  103 ) of washware which is held by the respective conveyor belt ( 50 ,  51 ,  52 ) is conveyed through the at least one wash zone ( 10 ,  11 . 1 ,  11 . 2 ,  12 ) and the at least one final rinse zone ( 13 ) at a conveying speed which is or can be set individually for the respective conveyor belt ( 50 ,  51 ,  52 ). 
     
     
         18 . Conveyor dishwasher ( 1 ) according to  claim 17 , with the conveying speed at which an item ( 100 ) of washware which is held by the first conveyor belt ( 50 ) is conveyed through the at least one wash zone ( 10 ,  11 . 1 ,  11 . 2 ,  12 ) and the at least one final rinse zone ( 13 ) being higher than the conveying speed at which an item ( 101 ,  102 ,  103 ) of washware which is held by the second conveyor belt ( 51 ) is conveyed through the at least one wash zone ( 10 ,  11 . 1 ,  11 . 2 ,  12 ) and the at least one final rinse zone ( 13 ). 
     
     
         19 . Conveyor dishwasher ( 1 ) according to  claim 1  with the respective upper faces of the conveyor belts ( 50 ,  51 ,  52 ) of the conveyor apparatus ( 2 ) lying in a common horizontal plane in such a way that washware ( 100 ,  101 ,  102 ,  103 ) can be held by a plurality of conveyor belts ( 50 ,  51 ,  52 ) at the same time. 
     
     
         20 . Conveyor dishwasher ( 1 ) according to  claim 1  with the second conveyor belt ( 51 ) being subdivided into a plurality of conveyor belts ( 51   a ,  51   b ) which run parallel to one another and can in each case be associated with a specific type of washware.